Exterior finish system

ABSTRACT

An exterior finish system for building walls is provided. The system includes a moisture permeable insulation layer having interconnected voids and exterior finishing materials applied over said insulation layer. A building wall incorporating the exterior finish system is also provided. A process for finishing an exterior building wall is further provided.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C.§119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/685,557, filed May27, 2005, which is fully incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

An improved exterior finishing system for use in the building andconstruction industry is provided. The improved exterior finishingsystem includes an insulation layer that provides thermal insulation anda means for drainage of incidental moisture that may penetrate theexterior surface of the system or other components of the buildingenvelope.

Modern techniques for constructing the walls of buildings may takenumerous forms. Among these is the two-by-four (2×4) framedconstruction. Conventional 2×4 wall construction begins with framing ofthe walls with wood or steel members. These wood or steel memberstypically have nominal dimensions of 2″×4″ and are, therefore, called“two-by-fours” or 2×4s. These 2×4s are oriented vertically and spaced atintervals generally either 16″ or 24″ and are each connected at the topand bottom to similar, horizontally oriented members. This structure isreferred to in the relevant art as a “framed” wall.

Traditionally, a sheet of sheathing such as plywood or other material isapplied to the exterior of the framed wall, but such application is notrequired in all circumstances. Such requirements are typicallyestablished by governmental building codes. A weather barrier may thenbe applied to the exterior of the sheathing, with an exterior wallcovering or exterior finishing materials then being applied directlyover the weather barrier.

Any one of numerous materials may be used for the exterior finishingmaterials of building structures such as brick, stucco, vinyl oraluminum siding, wood siding, exterior insulation and finish systems(EIFS), and the like.

While designed to provide an exterior aesthetic finish, the exteriorfinishing materials are also designed to minimize the transmission ofmoisture from the external environment into the building structure,thereby protecting the building structure and it contents from moisture.Over time, however, an exterior finish may develop a breach, such as acrack. If a breach or void, such as openings or cracks, exist in theexterior finish, then wind loads can potentially act as the drivingmechanism to force water through the cracks or openings in the exteriorfinish. Incidental moisture may also enter the building structure thoughwindows, compromised sealants, and the like. If excess water reaches thebuilding wall substrate, i.e.—the sheathing material, then this exposureof the building wall substrate to the water may result in deteriorationof the building wall substrate material, thus requiring replacement.

Weather barriers may be applied over the exterior surface of thebuilding wall substrate as a means to accommodate incidental moisturethat has breached the outermost surfaces of the building envelope. Ifthe weather barrier contains significant voids, cuts, or gaps, any suchwater/moisture may find its way through or around the openings in theweather barrier, onto the sheathing material, and eventually into thewall to cause the deleterious effects described above.

Many commercial and residential building structures utilize exteriorinsulation and finish systems (EIFS) as the exterior wall covering.Typically, the exterior insulation and finish system includes aninsulation board, a base coat, a reinforcing mesh, and a finish coat.The insulation board is attached over the building wall substrate, suchas plywood sheathing. A base coat is applied to the exterior surface ofthe insulation board. Next, a reinforcing mesh material is embedded inthe base coat. Finally, a finish coat is applied over the base coat andreinforcing mesh material. A weather barrier can be attached to thesheathing prior to installation of the insulation board.

While attempts have been made to provide moisture drainage in thecontext of exterior finishing systems in the building and constructionindustry, there still exists a great need for an exterior finishingsystem having improved moisture drainage capabilities.

SUMMARY

An exterior finish system for building walls is provided, said systemcomprising a moisture drainable insulation layer having a plurality ofopenings or voids, and an exterior finish applied over said insulationlayer.

A building wall is also provided, said building wall comprising a framehaving an exterior surface, optionally, a sheathing attached to saidexterior surface of said frame, a moisture drainable insulation layerhaving a plurality of openings or voids disposed over said exteriorsurface of said frame, or disposed over said sheathing if said sheathingis present, and an exterior finish disposed over said insulation layer.

According to certain embodiments, a weather barrier is attached over thebuilding wall substrate prior to attaching the the moisture drainableinsulation layer.

A process for finishing an exterior building wall is also provided, saidprocess comprising attaching an insulation layer over a building wallsubstrate, said insulation layer comprising a moisture drainableinsulation layer having a plurality of openings or voids, and applyingexterior finishing materials over said insulation layer.

According to certain embodiments, the process comprises attaching aweather barrier over the building wall substrate prior to attaching themoisture drainable insulation layer.

An exterior insulation and finish system is provided, said systemcomprising a moisture drainable insulation layer having a plurality ofopenings or voids, at least one base coat layer applied over saidinsulation layer, at least one reinforcing layer at least partiallyembedded within the base coat layer, and at least one finish coat layerapplied over said base coat layer and said reinforcing layer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded side view of one embodiment of the exteriorfinishing system.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the moisture permeable insulation layer.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a building wallincorporating an exterior finishing system.

FIG. 4 is a side view of one embodiment of a building wall incorporatingan exterior finishing system and a drainage cavity forming means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An exterior finish system for building walls is provided. The exteriorfinish system includes a permeable insulation layer having a number ofopenings or voids and exterior finishing materials that are applied overthe permeable insulation layer. The insulation layer is permeable to airand incidental moisture. The terms “moisture permeable insulation layer”and “moisture drainable insulation layer” are used interchangeablythroughout the specification to refer to an insulation layer for anexterior finishing system for building walls that is capable ofproviding insulation to the building wall and drainage of incidentalmoisture. The exterior finish system provides an exterior aestheticfinish to exterior building walls, while also providing moisturedrainage capabilities.

As discussed in greater detail below, according to certain illustrativeembodiments, the exterior finish system includes an insulation layerthat is comprised of a plurality of discrete bodies that are bondedtogether at mutual points of contact. As the bodies are joined togetheronly at points of contact, the resulting insulation layer includes agreat number of openings or voids. These openings result in aninsulation layer having interconnected voids that permit incidentalmoisture to drain through the insulation layer.

According to certain illustrative embodiments, the bodies of theinsulation layer comprise discrete bead- or sphere-shaped bodies. Thediscrete beads of the insulation layer may be manufactured from apolymeric material. According to certain embodiments, the polymericmaterial utilized to manufacture the discrete beads of the insulationlayer is a polyolefin material. The discrete beads of the insulationlayer may be polyethylene beads, polypropylene beads, or a combinationof polyethylene beads and polypropylene beads. According to otherembodiments, the insulation layer of the exterior finishing system maycomprise a plurality of discrete expanded polystyrene shapes, such asexpanded polystyrene beads or spheres. It should be noted, however, thatany polymeric material that provides an insulation layer havinginsulative and moisture drainage capabilities will be suitable formanufacture of the beads and that one having ordinary skill in the art,without undue experimentation, would be able to select a suitablepolymeric material for manufacture of the beads of the insulation layerthat is to be incorporated into the exterior finish system.

The discrete polymer beads of the insulation layer should not absorb asignificant amount of moisture. The discrete beads that comprise theinsulation layer of the exterior finish system may be manufactured froma moisture resistant polymeric material or may be provided with a waterresistant coating on at least a portion of the exterior surfaces of thediscrete beads. According to certain embodiments having a waterresistant coating, substantially all of the exterior surface of theindividual polymeric beads are coated with a water resistant coating. Asthe beads are coated with a water resistant coating, the insulationlayer is capable of prolonged exposure to moisture without the beadsabsorbing any significant amount of water or having any detrimentaleffects on the beads. Without limitation, water resistant coatings maybe selected from water resistant urethanes, acrylics, styrene-butadiene,silicones, silanes, and like water resistant coatings.

The moisture drainable insulation layer should be raspable. By“raspable” it is meant that the insulation layer may be manipulated bymechanical means to substantially remove surface irregulatries in theexteriorly facing surface of the insulation layer. By rasping theexteriorly facing surfaces of the insulation layer, a substantially evensurface can be attained for application of the EIFS base, reinforcingmesh, and finish coats, or other finishing materials, such as stuccolayer(s). Thus, the rasped moisture drainable insulation has asubstantially even or smooth surface for application of the exteriorfinishing materials.

The exterior finish system includes exterior finishing materials thatare applied the drainable insulation layer. Without limitation, exteriorfinishing materials may be selected from brick, wood siding, vinylsiding, aluminum siding, stucco, and exterior insulation and finishsystems. According to certain embodiments, the exterior finishingmaterials comprise exterior insulation and finish system materials.According to other embodiments, the exterior finishing materialcomprises at least one layer of a cementitious-based stucco material.

For embodiments utilizing an exterior insulation and finish system, theexterior insulation and finish system generally includes the moisturedrainable insulation layer, a base coat applied over the insulationlayer, a reinforcing mesh layer or layers at least partially embedded inthe base coat layer, and at least one finish coat layer that is appliedover the base coat and reinforcing mesh layers.

The base coat layers of the exterior insulation and finish system aregenerally polymer-modified cementitious compositions that adhere to theexterior surface of the insulation layer. The base coat layer cansupport a reinforcing mesh layer and which, in turn, supports the finishcoat layer. Without limitation, suitable base coats for use in theexterior insulation and finish system include base coats commericallyavailable from Degussa Wall Systems, Inc. (Jacksonville, Fla.) under thetrade designations Alpha Base Coat and Alpha Dry Base Coat. Alpha BaseCoat is a water based, 100% acrylic base coat having adhesiveproperties. Alpha Base Coat is typically field-mixed with Types I or IIPortland cement to provide a trowelable base coat. Alpha Dry Base Coatis a dry-mix polymer base coat containing Portland cement. The Alpha DryBase Coat is field-mixed with water to provide a trowelable base coat.

The reinforcing layer, without limitation, may be selected fromreinforcing fabrics and meshes. The reinforcing meshes are typicallywoven or knitted meshes of fibers. The fibers of the reinforcing meshmay include organic or inorganic fibers. The only practical limitationson the type of fibers used to manufacture the reinforcing mesh is thatthe resulting reinforcing mesh be embeddable in the base coat, that ithave sufficient strength to support the finish coat layers of theexterior insulation and finish system, and that it be chemicallyresistant or inert to the base and finish coats. According to certainembodiments, the reinforcing mesh of the exterior insulation and finishsystem is a woven fiberglass mesh.

A building wall incorporating the exterior finish system is alsoprovided. The building wall comprises a building wall substrate, amoisture drainable insulation layer having interconnected voids that isattached to the exterior surface of the building wall substrate, andexterior finishing materials applied over the insulation layer.According to certain embodiments, the building wall also includes aweather resistant barrier that is applied to the surface of the buildingwall substrate prior to attaching the moisture drainable insulationlayer to the building wall.

The building wall substrate, without limitation, may be selected fromplywood sheathing, wafer board, particle board, oriented strand board,cement board, gypsum board, concrete block, and masonry block. In oneembodiment, the building wall substrate is a layer of plywood sheathing.According to other embodiments, the building wall substrate may be alayer of masonry block.

In general, the building wall substrate is attached to a building wallframe having an exterior surface. However, it should be noted that forembodiments employing concrete or masonry block as the building wallsubstrate, the concrete or masonry block is not attached to a frame. Themoisture drainable insulation layer is then attached to theexterior-facing surface of the building wall substrate. The insulationlayer may be attached to the building wall substrate by any suitableattachment means, such as, for example, nails, screws, staples, tacks,rivets and adhesives. According to certain embodiments, a weatherbarrier material, such as building papers, polymeric sheets, and troweland roller applied materials may be applied to the exterior-facingsurface of the building wall substrate prior to attaching the moisturedrainable insulation layer to the substrate.

The weather barrier may be a conventional weather barrier that is usedin building construction, such as building paper or tar paper, althoughother materials can be used. The weather barrier is a building coderecognized product which is typically sold on a roll. Weather barriersresist the transmission of water therethrough and likewise control thetransmission of moisture vapor therethrough. An example of a weatherbarrier which is well known in the art is Jumbo Tex® Vapor PermeableWeather Resistive Barrier manufactured by Fortifiber® Corporation ofIncline Village, Nev.

The weather barrier may also comprise a polymeric material. Preferably,the weather barrier is comprised of a non-woven sheet of polymericfibers. The weather barrier may comprise a non-woven sheet of polyolefinfibers. Without limitation, the polyolefin fibers that are useful in thepreparation of the weather barrier may be selected from polypropylenefibers and high density polyethylene fibers. According to certainembodiments, the weather barrier may comprise a non-woven sheet ofspun-bonded high density polyethylene fibers. Without limitation,suitable non-woven sheets of spun-bonded high density polyethylenefibers are commercially available from E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.,Inc. (Wilmington, Del.) under the trademarks Tyvek® HomeWrap™, Tyvek®StuccoWrap™ and Tyvek® CommercialWrap™. The non-woven structure providesexcellent resistance to water and air penetration. In addition, thenon-woven structure has excellent strength and tear resistance. Itshould be noted that the polymeric weather barrier is not limited tothose commercially available from E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., Inc., asany commercially available polymeric sheet material possessing thedesired weather resistant properties may be used.

Without limitation, trowel and roller applied weather barriers suitablefor use in the present invention may include those weather barriermaterials commercially available from Degussa Wall Systems, Inc.(Jacksonville, Fla.) under the trade designations SENERSHIELD andSENERSHIELD-R. SENERSHIELD is a 100% acrylic-based, fiber reinforcedweather resistive barrier material. SENERSHIELD is a trowel-appliedcontinuous membrane. SENERSHIELD is suitable for direct application togypsum sheathing, cement board, poured concrete substrates, unitmasonry, and the like. SENERSHIELD-R is a flexible, liquid coatingmaterial. SENERSHIELD-R provides a roller- or brush-applied continuousmembrane that is suitable for direct application to a wide variety ofapproved building wall substrates, such as plywood sheathing, cementboard, gypsum sheathing, oriented strand board and the like.

Once the insulation layer is attached to the building wall substrate,then the exterior finish materials are applied over the insulationlayer. The exterior finish materials that may be used in conjunctionwith the construction of the building wall include, without limitation,brick, wood siding, vinyl siding, aluminum siding, stucco, and exteriorinsulation and finish system materials. According to certainembodiments, the exterior finish material used in conjunction with thebuilding wall is an exterior insulation and finish system. As describedabove, the exterior insulation and finish system that may beincorporated into the building wall includes the moisture drainableinsulation layer, a base coat applied over the insulation layer, one ormore reinforcing mesh layers substantially embedded in the base coatlayer, and at least one finish coat layer is applied over the base coatand reinforcing mesh layers.

According to other embodiments, a process for finishing an exteriorbuilding wall is further provided. The process includes attaching amoisture drainable insulation layer having interconnected voids over abuilding wall substrate, and applying exterior finishing materials overthe drainable insulation layer. According to certain embodiments, theprocess for finishing an exterior building wall also includes applying aweather resistant barrier to the surface of the building wall substrateprior to attaching the mositure drainable insulation layer to thebuilding wall.

With respect to the building wall incorporating the exterior finishsystem, the moisture drainable insulation layer may be attached to thebuilding wall substrate by means of an adhesive attachment, by means ofa mechanical attachment, or by a combination of an adhesive and amechanical attachment.

According to other embodiments, the exterior finish system and buildingwall incorporating the same may also include a drainage space locatedbetween the insulation layer and the exteriorly-facing surface of thebuilding wall substrate to provide additional water and moisture vapordrainage. The drainage space may be created by an open,three-dimensional spacing means. The spacing means may be provided inthe form of an open, three-dimensional mat.

The mat is preferably manufactured from a polymeric material. Aparticularly well-suited polymeric material that can be used tomanufacture the mat includes a thermoplastic polyamide resin such asnylon 6, although other materials may be used without departing from thespirit of the present invention. Such other materials that can be usedto manufacture mat include, but are not limited to, polyolefin fibers,such as polypropylene, high density polyethylene, polyvinylchloride,polystyrene fibers and polyester fibers.

The polymeric mat is preferably of a type described and manufactured inaccordance with U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,212,692, 3,691,004, and/or 3,687,759,which are all incorporated by reference, although other configurationsare possible.

The filaments of the polymeric mat form a peak and valley structureundulating in the longitudinal and/or transverse directions, preferablyto provide a waffle-like structure. Due to its filamentatious structure,the polymeric mat contains a great number of mutually interconnectedvoids which allow gases and liquids to flow freely therethrough.

The polymeric mat has a crush resistance allowing it to withstand alevel of compressive load without crushing the peak and valleyconfiguration thereof. Thus, air and water can still flow directly andtransversely through the mat, even when the mat is under a compressiveload. The ability of the mat to withstand a given compressive load mustnecessarily vary with factors such as the filament diameter, thematerial of which the mat is composed, the extent to which self-bondinghas occurred, the height of the peaks and valleys, as well as aplurality of other such variables. Thus, the crush-resistant propertiesof the mat, while inherent in the design of the mat, vary with numerousparameters regarding the construction of the mat.

The exterior finish system and building wall will now be described ingreater detail with reference to FIGS. 1-4. It should be noted that theinvention is not limited to the illustrative embodiments shown in FIGS.1-4, but should be construed in accordance with the appended claims.

With reference to FIG. 1, an exterior finish system 10 is shown. Theexterior finish system 10 includes a moisture drainable insulation layer11 and an exterior finish layer applied over the insulation layer 11.According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the exterior finish layerincludes exterior insulation and finish system materials. Base coat 12is applied uniformly over the exterior surface of insulation layer 11.Once the base coat layer 12 is applied over the insulation layer, thenthe reinforcing means 13, which is shown as a reinforcing mesh layer 13,is substantially embedded in the base coat layer 12. The finish coatlayer 14 of the exterior insulation and finish system 12 is applied overthe base coat 12 and reinforcing mesh layer 13.

Referring to FIG. 2, a portion of the insulation layer 11 is shown. Theinsulation layer 11, includes a plurality of discrete beads havingexterior surfaces. Illustrative discrete beads 22 and 23 are shown ashaving exterior surfaces 24 and 25, respectively. Discrete beads 22 and23 are bonded or joined together at mutual points 26 of contact on theirexterior surfaces. By this construction, an insulation layer 11 having anumber of openings 27 or voids created by the bond points of the spheresis provided. These openings 27 provide the insulation layer 11 with thecapability of draining incidental moisture that has breached theexterior finishing materials or the outermost surface of the buildingenvelope. Due to the openings, the insulation layer is capable ofdraining incidental moisture vertically to weep holes or other ventmeans provided near the bottom of the building wall, or at other desiredlocations.

A building wall 30 incorporating an exterior finish system having amoisture permeable insulation layer is shown in FIG. 3. As shown inillustrated FIG. 3, Building wall 30 is of a typical 2×4 frameconstruction, although other construction techniques and configurationsare equally suitable.

Building wall 30 is generally constructed of a frame, a building wallsubstrate, the moisture drainable insulation layer, and an exteriorfinish. The frame typically includes a plurality of studs 31, which aremembers of wood or steel having nominal dimensions of 2″×4″. Studs 31are vertically oriented and are parallel and spaced apart a distance oftypically 16″ or 24″, although these dimensions are merely illustrative.Studs 31 are each typically fixedly attached at upper and lower ends toa horizontal plate, with the plate typically being a member of similardimension to studs 31 and oriented horizontally such that multiplevertical studs 31 in a wall 30 are fixedly attached to a single platerunning along their bottom edges and also to another single platerunning along their top edges. Studs 31 are usually fixedly attached tothe plate by means of mechanical fasteners such as nails and/or screws(not shown). Moreover, studs 31 are each typically attached to a lowersill plate (not shown) which is of a similar construction. Typically, abuilding wall substrate 33 is attached to the exterior surface of theframed wall.

A starter track 34 may be mounted along the bottom edge of the wall 30and may extend along substantially the entire length of the bottom edgeof the wall 30. The starter track 34 may be provided as a rigid L-shapedstructure, formed of a non-corrosive material, such as aluminum orUV-resistant polyvinyl chloride. The starter track 34 is mounted ontothe wall 30 in a position that is substantially parallel to thefoundation of the building structure. The starter track 34 may beapplied or mounted onto the wall 30 by means of adhesives or mechanicalfasteners. A sealing membrane 35 may be utilized in conjunction with thestarter track 34 to prevent the flow of incidential moisture behind thestarter track 34. The sealing membrane 35 may be a composite membrane ora trowel-applied membrane. According to certain embodiments, theself-adhering membrane 35 is a composite membrane comprising arubberized asphalt layer and a polyester layer.

Still referring to FIG. 3, the insulation layer and exterior finish areattached to the building wall substrate 33. According to FIG. 3, theexterior finishing material is an exterior insulation and finish system(40-43). Optionally, a weather barrier 50 is applied over the exteriorsurface of the building wall substrate 33, prior to the installation ofthe insulation layer. The weather barrier 50, may be selected frombuilding papers or polymeric sheet barriers. Although a pre-formed sheetweather barrier may be utilized, the weather barrier 50 may alsocomprises a roller, brush- or trowel-applied material barrier layer.

The exterior finish is applied over the weather barrier 50. The exteriorinsulation and finish system typically includes, the insulation layer40, a base coat 41, a reinforcing mesh 42, and a finish coat 43. Thebase coat 41 is applied directly to the exterior surface of theinsulation layer. The insulation layer 40 is generally provided in theform of an insulation board. The reinforcing mesh 42 is applied to andsubstantially embedded within the base coat 41 layer. Once the base coat41 has dried, the exterior finish coat 43 is applied over the dried basecoat 41 and mesh 42 to provide an aesthetically pleasing exteriorfinished surface.

With reference to FIG. 4, a cavity forming or spacer means 60 mayoptionally be positioned between the exterior surface of the buildingwall substrate 30 and the insulation layer 40.

EXPERIMENTAL

The following test results set forth to describe exterior finish systemin further detail. It shouuld be noted, however, that the test resultsshould not be construed as limiting the exterior finish system, buildingwall incorporating the exterior finish system or assocaited processes inany manner.

A sample of a type of moisture drainable insulation was evaluated forcore density, water absorption, compressive properties, shearproperties, water vapor permeance, tensile properties, dimensionalstability, and freeze-thaw tensile adhesion.

Core Density Testing

A layer of the moisture permeable insulation was evaluated for coredensity in accordance with the ASTM C303 test method. The results of thecore density testing are reported in Table I below. TABLE I Results NoDrying 2.22 ± 0.02 lb/ft³ Dried for 2 hours at 105° C. 2.14 ± 0.03lb/ft³ Dried for 24 hours at 50° C. 2.15 ± 0.04 lb/ft³

Water Absorption Testing

A layer of the moisture drainable insulation was evaluated for waterabsorption in accordance with the ASTM C272/C578 test method. Theresults of the water absorption testing of the moisture drainableinsulation layer having interconnected voids was compared to a layer ofstandard expanded polystyrene foam insulation. The water absorption ofthe insulation layer is expressed as a function of the percent weightgain of the insulation layer, due to the absorption of water. Themoisture permeable insulation layer exhibited an average weight gain of61±4%. Standard expanded polystyrene insulation board exhibited a weightgain of 206±19.

Compressive Resistance Properties Testing

The moisture drainable insulation was evaluated for compressiveresistance properties in accordance with the ASTM D1621 test method. Theresults of the compressive resistance properties testing are reported inTable II below. TABLE II Compressive Resistance Property Results Stressat 0.5% Strain 0.6 ± 0.3 psi Stress at 1% Strain 0.7 ± 0.3 psi Stress at10% Strain 4.1 ± 0.1 psi Modulus of Elasticity 840 ± 215 psi 

Shear Properties Testing

The moisture drainable insulation was evaluated for shear resistance inaccordance with the ASTM C273 test method. The results of the shearresistance testing for the moisture permeable insulation layer werecompared to standard expanded polystyrene (EPS), and are reported inTable III below. TABLE III Air/Moisture Permeable Shear Properties EPSInsulation Shear Strength 11 ± 1 psi 27 ± 1 psi Shear Modulus 58 ± 4 psi33 ± 1 psi

Water Vapor Permeance Testing

The moisture drainable insulation was evaluated for water vaporpermeance in accordance with the ASTM E96 test method. The results ofthe water vapor testing for the moisture drainable insulation werecompared to standard expanded polystyrene (EPS), and are reported inTable IV below. TABLE IV Sample Method Results Inventive 1 Dry Cup 6.3 ±0.7 perms Inventive 2 Wet Cup 20.2 ± 1.9 perms  Inventive 3 Dry Cup 6.5± 0.6 perms Inventive 4 Wet Cup 22.9 ± 1.6 perms  Standard EPS 6 Dry Cup2.9 ± 0.2 perms Standard EPS 7 Wet Cup 5.2 ± 0.8 perms

Tensile Properties Testing

The moisture drainable insulation was evaluated for tensile propertiesin accordance with the ASTM C297 test method. The results of the tensileproperties testing for the moisture permeable insulation were comparedto standard expanded polystyrene (EPS), and are reported in Table Vbelow. TABLE V Sample Tensile Property Results Inventive TensileStrength 30 ± 3 psi Inventive Elongation at Max. Stress 27 ± 2%Comparative EPS Tensile Strength 16 ± 1 psi Comparative EPS Elongationat Max. Stress 18 ± 1%

Dimensional Stability Testing

The moisture drainable insulation was evaluated for dimensionalstability in accordance with the ASTM D2126 test method. The results ofthe dimensional stability testing for the moisture drainable insulationwere compared to standard expanded polystyrene (EPS), and are reportedin Table VI below. TABLE VI Sample Method Results Inventive −26° C. 0%Inventive 38° C./95% relative humidity 9.7 ± 0.3% Comparative EPS −26°C. 0% Comparative EPS 38° C./95% relative humidity 1.8 ± 0.5%

Freeze-Thaw Tensile Adhesion Testing

The moisture drainable insulation was evaluated for freeze-thawresistance in accordance with the criteria set forth in InternationalConference of Building Officials (ICBO) AC24, and also for tensileadhesion in accordance with the ASTM C297 test method.

With respect to the freeze-thaw testing, exterior insulation and finishsystems were constructed. Each system included the moisture drainableinsulation layer having interconnected voids, a base coat applied forthe insulation layer, a reinforcing mesh embodied in the base coatlayer, and a finish coat layer applied over the base coat layer andreinforcing mesh. Two different base coats were used in the testing,namely, Alpha Base Coat and Alpha Dry Base Coat, both commerciallyavailable from Degussa Wall Systems, Inc. of Jacksonville, Fla.

The exterior insulation and finish systems were assembled and theassembled systems were subjected to freeze-thaw cycles, in accordancewith ICBO AC24. No surface changes or delaminations were noticed afterexposure to freeze-thaw cycling.

The results of the tensile adhesion testing before and after freeze-thawcycling are reported in Table VII below. The building wall substrateutilized in the illustrative testing was a building sheathing materialcommercially available from Georgia Pacific under the trade designationDens Glass Gold. TABLE VII Sample Test Method Results Inventiveinsulation layer Flatwise Tensile Adhesion 27 ± 3 psi adhered to wallsubstrate No freeze-thaw cycling with Base Coat 1 Inventive insulationlayer Flatwise Tensile Adhesion 27 ± 1 psi adhered to wall substrate Nofreeze-thaw cycling with Base Coat 2 Full EIFS with inventive FlatwiseTensile Adhesion 27 ± 3 psi insulation layer adhered to No freeze-thawcycling wall substrate with Base Coat 1 Full EIFS with inventiveFlatwise Tensile Adhesion 28 ± 1 psi insulation layer adhered to Nofreeze-thaw cycling wall substrate with Base Coat 2 Full EIFS withinventive Flatwise Tensile Adhesion 27 ± 3 psi insulation layer adheredto After freeze-thaw cycling wall substrate with Base Coat 1 Full EIFSwith inventive Flatwise Tensile Adhesion 25 ± 3 psi insulation layeradhered to After freeze-thaw cycling wall substrate with Base Coat 2Base Coat 1 = Alpha Base Coat from Degussa Wall Systems, Inc.Base Coat 2 = Alpha Dry Base Coat from Degussa Wall Systems, Inc.

While various illustrative embodiments have been described above andshown in the various figures, it should be understood that other similarembodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made tothe described embodiments for performing the same functions withoutdeviating therefrom. Further, all embodiments disclosed are notnecessarily in the alternative, as various embodiments may be combinedto provide the desired characteristics. Variations can be made by onehaving ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit andscope of the disclosure. Therefore, the exterior finish system, buildingwall, and process should not be limited to any single embodiment, butrather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitationof the attached claims.

1. An exterior finish system for building walls comprising: a raspable,moisture drainable insulation layer having a plurality of openings; andan exterior finish disposed over said insulation layer.
 2. The exteriorfinish system of claim 1, wherein said insulation layer comprises aplurality of discrete beads manufactured from a polymeric material. 3.The exterior finish system of claim 2, wherein said polymeric materialis selected from the group consisting of polyolefin and polystyrenematerials.
 4. The exterior finish system of claim 3, wherein saidpolyolefin material is selected from polyethylene, polypropylene, andmixtures thereof.
 5. The exterior finish system of claim 3, wherein saidpolymeric material is expanded polystyrene.
 6. The exterior finishsystem of claim 2, wherein said plurality of discrete beads are coatedwith a water resistant coating.
 7. The exterior finish system of claim2, wherein said plurality of discrete beads are bonded at points ofcontact.
 8. The exterior finish system of claim 1, wherein said exteriorfinishing material is selected from the group consisting of brick, woodsiding, vinyl siding, aluminum siding, stucco, and exterior insulationand finish system materials.
 9. The exterior finish system of claim 8,wherein said exterior finishing material is stucco.
 10. The exteriorfinish system of claim 8, wherein said exterior finishing material isexterior insulation and finish system materials.
 11. The exterior finishsystem of claim 10, wherein said exterior insulation and finish systemmaterials comprise said moisture drainable insulation layer, at leastone base coat layer, a reinforcing layer, and at least one finish coatlayer.
 12. The exterior finish system of claim 11, wherein said basecoat is selected from cementitious base coats, polymer base coats, andpolymer-modified cementitious base coats.
 13. The exterior finish systemof claim 11, wherein said reinforcing layer is selected from the groupconsisting of reinforcing fabrics and meshes.
 14. The exterior finishsystem of claim 13, wherein said reinforcing mesh is a woven mesh ofglass fibers.
 15. The exterior finish system of claim 11, wherein saidfinish coats are selected from the group consisting of cementitiousfinish coats, polymer based finish coats, and polymer-modifiedcementitious finish coats.
 16. A building wall comprising: a framehaving an exterior surface; optionally, a sheathing attached to saidexterior surface of said frame; a raspable, moisture drainableinsulation layer having a plurality of openings disposed over saidexterior surface of said frame, or disposed over said sheathing if saidsheathing is present; and an exterior finish disposed over saidinsulation layer.
 17. The wall of claim 16, wherein sheating is presentand said sheathing is selected from the group consisting of plywoodsheathing, oriented strand board, wafer board, particle board, cementboard, and gypsum board.
 18. The wall of claim 16, wherein saidinsulation layer comprises a plurality of discrete beads manufacturedfrom a polymeric material.
 19. The wall of claim 18, wherein saidpolymeric material comprises polyolefin materials.
 20. The wall of claim18, wherein said polymeric material comprises expanded polystyrenematerials.
 21. The wall of claim 18, wherein said plurality of discretebeads are bonded an points of contact.
 22. The wall of claim 16, whereinsaid exterior finish is selected from the group consisting of brick,wood siding, vinyl siding, aluminum siding, stucco, and exteriorinsulation and finish system materials.
 23. The wall of claim 22,wherein said exterior finish comprises exterior insulation and finishsystem materials.
 24. The wall of claim 23, wherein said exteriorinsulation and finish system materials comprise said moisture drainableinsulation layer, at least one base coat layer, a reinforcing layer, andat least one finish coat layer.
 25. The wall of claim 24, wherein saidbase coat is selected from cementitious base coats, polymer base coats,and polymer-modified cementitious base coats.
 26. The wall of claim 24,wherein said reinforcing mesh is woven mesh of glass fibers.
 27. Thewall of claim 24, wherein said finish coats are selected from the groupconsisting of cementitious finish coats, polymer finish coats, andpolymer-modified cementitious finish coats.
 28. The wall of claim 16,wherein said moisture drainable insulation layer is attached to saidbuilding wall frame or sheathing, if sheathing is present, by means of(i) an adhesive attachment, (ii) mechanical fasteners, or (iii) acombination of an adhesive and mechanical fastners.
 29. The wall ofclaim 16, wherein a weather resistant barrier is attached to saidsheathing if sheathing is present.